curtis



W. CURTlS.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING.THE ELECTRIC LlGHTING 0F MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPHCATFON FILED MAR, 2.1917

13 13 5 8 3 Patented Aug. 19, 1919,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1. M K 2/6 W. CURTIS.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING 0F MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPHCATION FILED MAR, 2. 1917v Walier Cari/s 1,313,58 PatentedAug. 19,1919.

6 @/E%SHEET 2.

W. CURTIS.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING 0F MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MR 2. 1911 1,3 1 3, 583. Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WALTER cu'a'ns, or w nmasnmr GREEN, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF MOTOR- VEHICLES.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t] at I, WALTER C RTIS, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 16 Maybury Gardens, Willesden Green, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful .Im provements in or Connected with Means for Controlling the Electric Lighting of Motor- Vehicles, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had to t e drawings hereunto annexed and to the figures, letters, and reference-numerals marked thereon that is to say:

The invention relates to improvements in or connected with means for controlling the electric lighting of motor vehicles.

For this purpose a switch is employed consisting of a base of non-conducting material rovided with terminals for a number of lea s and upon said baseplate is revolu bly mounted a disk or plate of similar material carrying contacts arranged in such manner as to complete certain electric circuits according to the position of the revoluble disk. I

In the acc mpanying drawings 2-- Figure 1 i a diagram of the wiring or connections of the switch the dotted lines illustrating the two acting positions of the switch bar.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan of the switch.

the base Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic underside viewof the revoluble disk or plate.

Fi 4 is a detail view of the means for resiliently forcing the two parts of the switch together.

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrat ing a modification.

Fig. 6 is a plan or top view of the base illustrating the modified arrangement of the terminals.

Fig. 7- is; an underside view of the base showing the arrangement of the terminals.

Fig. 8 is an underside view of the revoluble disk illustrating the modified arrangement of brushes or contacts and Figs. '9, 10, 11 are diagrammatic views illustrating the various positions of the switch bar relatively to the terminals.

In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a represents the switch, b represents the magneto, c represents the accumulator, d represents the coil box, .e represents the head lights, f repre- Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 19,1919.

Application flledlarchfl, 1917. Serial No. 151,929.

sents the tail light, 9 represents the side lights, it represents the chassis, A represents a connection with the accumulator c and M a connection with the magneto b.

The switch consists of a base a of nonconducting material upon which is revolubly mounted a. disk'or plate a of similar material. A

The disk or plate a is connected with the base a by an axial pin or stud I which passes through and is fixed with the base a, and

1 said disk at is revolubly' mounted upon the pin 1 and is forced toward the base a with a resilient pressure by means of a helical spring 1" coiled around the pinl and there adj'ustably held by a nut l or it might be by nuts screwing upon a thread upon the pin 1 forthe purposes of adjustment of the degree of compression of the spring 1 the nut 1 serving as an abutment for the spring 1. The pin or stud 1 forms a terminal and has connected with it a lead or conductor connecting with one of the side lights.

' Beneath the revoluble disk or late a and stantly in electric connection with the cen- 'fixed with it is a'switch bar a w ich is con- 'tral, pm or stud I and upon'the face of the I base a are two suitably spaced stop pins a between which the switch bar a is adapted to work and midway between the stop pins a is a contact 0 which however is not connected with any circuit but which merel represents the off position of the switc 'bar a Upon the base a adjacent to one' of the .stops 0, is a terminal 2 with which the ,SWltCh bar at is adapted to make contact g when in that osition and in a suitable position also on t e base is another terminal 3 with which the switch bar a then also makes contact.

Adjacent to the other stop pin a are two terminals 4-and 5 and on the underside of the disk (1' is a contact plate a which in the described position of the switch bar a makes contact with both of said terminals 4 and 5.

In a suitable position upon the base a are two other terminals 6 and on the underside plied with. current from the magneto b in series while the two side lights 9 and the single tail light f are fed from the accumulator 0 in parallel.

In the opposite extreme position of the switch bar a? the contact plates a a are out of action and the switch bar a makes contact with terminals 1 and 5 only whereby the head lights e are cut out and the two side lights 9 and tail light f are placed in circuit with the magneto b in series thereby saving the current of the storage battery or accumulatorc.

In the central position of the switch bar a no circuit is made so that all the lights are cut out. In the example given at Figs.

5 to 11 is illustrated a modification of the device hereinbefore described.

Accordin to this example an additional terminal 7 1s provided and the terminal 0, which in the previous example was described as being unconnected with any circuit, is'in this case permanently electrically connected with the terminal 7 by means of a strip of metal w, or it might be a length of wire or the like, and the terminals 0 and the base a thus coupling the same up m 7 are also permanently connected with the terminal 5 by the same strip of metal or the like a: as shown at Fig. 1.

The switch bar a is in this case furnished with brushes a a arranged in suitable positions thereon while the contact plates (1 a"" of the revoluble disk or plate a in the previous example are substituted, by brushes an a as shown in Fig. 8.

The electrical connections of the device are diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5 and the various positions of the switch bar a are illustrated at Figs. 9, 10, and 11.

In the position of the parts indicated at Fig. 9 the brushes a a of theswitch bar a make contact with the terminals 2 and 3 'whilethe brushes a and a are at the same time in contact with the terminals 4 and 5 and 6 respectively.

In this position of the switch bar a five lights are illuminated namely the head lights 0 off the magneto b in series and the side lights 9 and tail light f of the accumulator 0 in paralleh In the position shown at Fig. 10 the brush a makes contact with the terminal 0 of through the switch bar a itself with the central terminal 1 while the brushes a make contact with the terminals 4 and 7 and'in view of the metal strip a: the termakes contact with the terminal 5 and through the connecting strip m with the terminals 0 and 7 the result being that the side lights 9 and tail light 7 are illuminated from the magneto b in series.

In the-positions of the switch bar a indicated by the dot and dash lines 3 no circuit is made so that all the lights are cut out as shown at Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

It will be understood that the device may be further modified Without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In combination, head lamps, side and tail lamps, a generator, an accumulator, a circuit including said lamps, said generator and said accumulator, a switch controlling said circuit in such manner that when it occupies one position, the head lamps are connected in series with the generator and the side and tail lamps are connected to said accumulator in parallel; when in another position, said switch connects all of said lamps to said'generator in series parallel, and when in a third position, said switch connects said side and tail lamps to said generator in series, while said head lamps are disconnected from said generator.

2. In combination, head lamps, tail and side lamps, a generator, an accumulator, a circuit including said lamps, said generator and said accumulator, a switch comprising cont-acts and an arm engageable with said contacts and capable of occupying twoextreme positions and three intermediate positions said switch controlling said circuit in such manner that when said arm is in one intermediate position, said head lamps are connected in series with said generator, and said side and tail lamps are connected in parallel with said accumulator; when in another intermediate position, all of said lamps are connected in series-parallel to said generator; when in another interme diate position said side and tail lamps are connected in series with said generator and said headlamps are disconnected from said generator and when said arm occupies either extreme position all of said lamps are disconnected from said accumulator and gen- 3. In combination, head lamps, tail and side lamps, a generator, an accumulaton'a circuit including said lamps, said generator connected to three ofsaid contacts, said switch controlling said circuitin such manher that when said arm is in one intermedlate posltion said head. lamps are connected in series with the generator and said side and tail lamps are connected to said 'accnmnla-tor in parallel; when in another intermediate position, all of said lamps are connected through said conducting strip to said generator in series parallel; when in another intermediate position, said side and tail lamps are connected through said conducting strip to said generator in series and said head lamps are disconnected from said generator and when said arm occupies either extreme position all of said lamps are disconnected from said accumulator and gene 'ator.

a 41. In combination, head lamps, tail and side lamps, a generator, an accumulator, a switch comprising contacts, and an arm engageable with said contacts and capable of occupying three intermediate positions and two extreme positions, and circuits including said lamps, said generator, said accumulator, and said switch, said switch controL ling sald circuits in such a manner that when said arm is in its first intermediate position the side and tail lamps are connected to the accumulator. in parallel, and when said arm is in the second and third intermediate positions the side and tail lamps are in series with the generator, while the head lamps are in series with the generator in the first and second intermediatepositions and disconnected in the third position, and when said arm is in either eX- treme position all the lamps are disconnected from the generator and accumulator.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER CURTIS. Witnesses I C, MELBOURNE WHITE, C. RAvENsonor'r, 

